Blurring the Lines of Reality
by Ashlie Christine
Summary: They're from two different worlds-she's the rich society girl, he's the man struggling to make ends meet and take care of his sick mother. She's dreamt of him, and he of her, but neither thinks the other is real. - Adopted by RandomChickOliviaxx
1. The First Dream

_**A/N: Hey Guys...this story was adopted by me from RandomChickOliviaxx...so all credit for this chapter goes to her! :D**_

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**Chapter 1: The First Dream**

I was five years old, sitting on my aunt's lap, playing with a Barbie doll. Her husband walked in.

"Honey, I've got to go, the office called me in early. I'll see you tonight," he said.

"Be safe," she replied. They'd both forgotten I was there. "I love you."

"I love you too," he said. He kissed her forehead and left.

"Aunty," I said, shocking her into remembering that I was there, "Why did he kiss you on your forehead?"

She sighed and said, "Because, honey, if someone kisses you on your forehead, it means they love you."

_The scene changed._

_I was sitting on the beach at sunset. And beside me was a boy. Normally, in my dreams, people don't have faces. But this boy was different. He had emerald green eyes and …unusual hair. Penny-coloured hair._

_He was gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous. _

_He had a guitar and was playing the song You and I by Lifehouse. And he was staring deep into my eyes._

_I didn't know this boy, but something made me stare back. There was some energy running between us that wouldn't allow me to look away. I was lost in his gaze. Something about him seemed familiar, but at the same time completely unknown, if that made sense. _

_His voice was pure velvet, and I much preferred his version of the song to the original. _

"You and me and all of the peopleWith nothing to do, nothing to prove andIt's you and me and all of the people andI don't why I can't keep my eyes off of youWhat day is itAnd in what monthThis clock never seemed so alive "

_As he sang the last verse, he leaned forward and kissed my forehead. _

_Then out of nowhere, penguins ran out and attacked him, yelling "YOU ARE NOT A SUITABLE BOY!"_

I was jolted awake by the beeping of my alarm clock, which read 6:05 a.m. For a second I forgot where I was, but then my dream came flooding back to me.

Penguins? What the hell? Why wasn't he a suitable boy?

And God, why couldn't that boy have been real? He didn't actually speak to me but I knew somehow that he was perfect, for me at least. Somehow, I knew he was sweet, kind, funny, smart and romantic. He was -

Okay, Bella, get up. Clear this dream out of your head. It was just a dream. Don't go getting any hopes about this boy. He doesn't exist.

Sighing, I got out of bed and headed to the bathroom. Today was my first day of work. Although working for Alice wouldn't be to-

Oh my! I've just realized you don't know anything about me! Well introductions are in order.

Hello! I'm Isabella Marie Swan, though I'd prefer if you called me Bella. I'm 24 years old, and my birthday is September 13th. In college I was an English major, and I was in the middle of writing my first book.

I unfortunately had a case of writer's block.

Instead of staying home all day and sulking about the lack of words being extracted from me, I decided I would spend some time around the city, looking for inspiration somewhere. Life has to go on, and I'm not the "reclusive author" type.

I live in an apartment in New York with my best friend, Mary Alice Brandon. Call her Alice though, because she'd rip your head off if you called her Mary. She hates that name.

She's a designer, and she has a small shop in Manhattan, that sells her clothes. It's simply called _Alice._

She doesn't have much employees because it's a small business. There's just our other best friend, Rosalie Hale, and now, me. I always used to help out with the store before, but now I'm getting paid for it.

I started to put on my make-up. I hate make-up, Alice insists I wear it, because " just a little bit can't hurt you." I put on blue eye shadow and eyeliner. I could get past Alice with that much.

I chose a dark blue sweater dress that Alice had given me for my birthday and paired it with black heels. I left my hair down, and satisfied with my appearance, left my room.

I went to the kitchen, where I found Alice still in her pyjamas, yawning over a bowl of cereal.

"Alice! I thought you said we were leaving at 7 ?" I exclaimed. Here I was, all ready and dressed, and she'd now woken up!

"Sorry, Bella, I meant to say 8," was what I barely made out through her huge yawns.

"Well thank you, Alice, for making me lose my sleep," I replied.

"Bah I wuv you Bellsshh, I'm so shhhowy."

I laughed. "Just drink some coffee and wake up so I won't have to decipher your yawns! And go get ready!"

She trudged out of the kitchen. An hour later, at 8 on the dot, I'd finished my breakfast, and Alice reappeared, no longer in a sleepy state.

"Come on, Belly, work awaits!" The hyper monster exclaimed as we locked the door behind us and got into her car. Gosh, just an hour ago, she could barely speak properly and now look at her…Only that little pixie could have so much energy.

We pulled up at Alice's shop just as Rosalie got there.

"Morning, Rose," Alice and I said together.

"Morning, darlings," she said, smoothening her perfect blond hair. Rosalie was inhumanly gorgeous. She was born to be a model, and she did do some modelling for Alice's catalogue, but we never could convince her to do more than that.

She and her brother, Jasper Hale, were from Texas. Jasper was Alice's boyfriend. He'd only come to New York a few months before to live with Rose, but he met Alice, and , supposedly on sight, they fell in love. Jasper was a paediatrician at the local hospital.

Alice opened the shop and we went about setting up and getting ready for the customers of the day.

The day passed without event . I went home alone since Jasper and Alice had a date.

I decided to visit my parents that evening. I'd made it a habit to visit them every week. My mother was a famous artist- Reneé Swan. She got thousands of dollars for every masterpiece she created. My father was a very successful lawyer. I guess you could say I came from a rich family, although I was never really into to trappings of money.

Lucky for me though, my parents paid my half of the rent of my and Alice's apartment. I haven't even finished my book yet, much less published it, so I haven't gotten any money in that area yet.

I drove straight to my parents' house from work. Dad wouldn't be home yet, but Mom would be there. As I got out of the car, I could smell the aroma of homemade bread wafting through the open windows. I practically ran through the door and into the kitchen.

"Where's the food?" I asked my mom as soon as I saw her. She laughed and pointed to the counter where there were loaves of homemade bread. I moaned as I bit into a slice. It might just be bread, but my mother's bread was THE best in the world.

"Gosh, you're acting like your brother!" she said. My brother, Emmett, was in Florida, in college. The only one of my friends he knew was Alice. I had a feeling though, that if I got him and Rosalie together, they'd make an awesome couple.

"Speaking of Emmett, he called yesterday," said Mom.

"What did he say?"

"Well, nothing much. He misses us, of course, and…he's coming home!"

We squealed and jumped around for a bit. I'd totally forgotten he was in his last year of college.

"Oh my God! He's graduating next week isn't he? Yay! You and Dad are going to the ceremony, right?"

"Yes, we are honey. Then, afterwards, he's coming home with us. I'm so excited!"

We talked some more about Emmett and she asked me about my first day of work. Then she asked the dreaded question.

"So, honey…are you seeing anyone yet?"

"Oh, geez, Mom, must you ask me that every time you see me? I'm perfectly happy on my own!" I replied.

"Of course, but honey, I'm getting old." Hah, people still mistake you for my sister (It's true, my mom looks really young). "I'm getting old, and I just want to see you walk down the aisle. Let me have this before I die?"

"But, mom I can't conjure a guy out of thin air… look, I have to go now, it's getting late. Tell Dad I stopped by. I love you mom, seeya later!"

I waved as I went out the front door. As I walked down the path to my car, I reflected on my mother's words. As I thought about her wanting to see me walk down the aisle, an image suddenly popped into my head.

I was wearing a beautiful white dress and walking down the aisle. At the top of the aisle was the man from my dream - the bronze haired, emerald eyed mystery guy.

_Stop, Bella. He's not real! _I told myself.

_But I wish he was._


	2. Mr Jackbackside

_**A/N: Hey Guys...this story was adopted by me from RandomChickOliviaxx...so all credit for this chapter goes to her! :D**_

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**Chapter 2: Mr. Jackbackside**

"_She bangs, she bangs!_

_Ooh, baby when she moves, she moves!_

_She looks like a flower but she stings like a bee…_

_Like every girl in history!_

_She bangs, she bangs!_

_Wasted by the way she moves, she moves!_

_No one ever looked so fine,_

_She reminds me that a woman's got one thing on her mind!"_

_I giggled as my dream boy spun me around and continued to sing that old Ricky Martin song to me._

_God, he's a great dancer… _

_He spun me around again and stared into my eyes as he sang the last part of the song. There was something tender in his gaze that made me reach my face up to his to kiss him lovingly._

_His lips were a centimetre away from mine, and…_

"BELLA-ROO!"

I groaned. _And my perfect moment is gone… _

"What, Ali- AHHH!" The little devil pounced on me and made me fall off the bed! Blast you, Alice!

"Good, you're awake. You dressed well yesterday, but I know you, and you only did it for the first day of work. Today, I'm dressing you!" exclaimed Alice.

I sighed. There was no point in contesting Alice, she always got what she wanted anyways. I nodded my head.

"Finally, you've learnt not to argue with me," she said with a smile. "And by the way, your mom called last night after you went to sleep. She said she wants you, me, Rosalie and Jasper all to go to dinner with her and your dad tonight. She says she's inviting a friend, a Dr. Jacob Black."

"Why can't that lady just understand that I'm perfectly happy on my own? She doesn't have to keep setting me up with guys. Her choices never work out for me. Remember Eric Yorkie? That was a disaster. And Tyler Crowley. Why can't she figure it out? Every time I go to see her she asks me about me love life. It's getting annoying. I don't need a man to make me complete!"

Alice chuckled as she listened to my rant.

"She never said anything about setting you up."

"But we both know her. That's exactly what she's trying to do. Don't try to deny it, Alice."

"Well, just give this guy a chance… who knows, this time it might work out… You know, this guy works with Jasper at the hospital. We'll ask Jasper about this guy later," Alice said. " At least go to this dinner. Dating him isn't mandatory. If you don't like him, I doubt you mom will force him on you."

"Fine, I'll go," I grumbled.

"Do I get to choose your outfit for dinner as well?" she asked. When I nodded, she squealed and threw some clothes on the bed.

"Get ready for work, and put that on. We'll decide what you're wearing later when we come back home." She pranced out of the room.

Half an hour later, I was in the kitchen eating breakfast and was dressed in the skinny black pants, long-sleeved white button-up shirt and black waistcoat that Alice had picked out for me.

Alice joined me with her own bowl of Waffle Crisp cereal. We ate and set out for work.

Again, Rosalie arrived at the store at the same time as us. The routine morning greeting was exchanged.

"Morning, Rose."

"Morning, darlings."

We got the shop ready for the day. Customers were scarce, which I couldn't understand, since Alice's creations were the best I'd ever seen.

Jasper came in when we closed for our lunch hour. All four of us went across the street to a Subway outlet for lunch.

"So, I hear your mom's trying to set you up again," Rosalie said, picking at her salad.

"I see Alice has been gossiping," I said, playfully glaring at the pixie. She was innocently drinking her Coca-Cola. Oh God. She's drinking Coke. She's going to be hyper later.

"Actually, Alice only told us about the dinner this morning. I heard yesterday from Dr. Black. He was really excited about meeting you. He hardly stopped talking about dinner all day," Jasper said, taking a huge bite of his Italian B.M.T. sandwich.

"Oh, Jesus," I sighed. They all laughed.

"Well, tell me about this Dr. Back."

"First of all, it's Dr. BLACK," Jasper corrected me. "And I don't really know that much about him. Remember I only started working here within the last year. I haven't gotten that close to many of my colleagues. But I don't like Jacob (Dr. Black). He's got this arrogant attitude since he's filthy rich, and his parents are high up in society."

"Just what I need, a society snob," I grumbled. "My mother's taste in men for me is even worse than my own."

We finished eating and got ready to go back to work. I suddenly felt the bottle of water catching up with me.

"You guys go back to work, I need to use the restroom," I said. They went back across the street to the store, while I made my way to the restroom to relieve myself.

As I was about to exit the Subway outlet, a tall man with russet coloured skin, dark eyes and black hair stepped in front of me. He was dressed in a dark blue suit. He had an arrogant, self-centred air about him. I tried to step to the side of him, but he blocked my path again.

"Do you believe in love at first sight, or should I walk by again?" He flashed a smile at me that would have been charming if he hadn't been so cheesy and annoying.

"Oh, walk by again, please. But this time, keep walking." I retorted. He was so obviously unused to rejection, he was frozen in shock. I walked around him and out the door. By then he had recovered from his shock. You would think that he would learn not to use a pick up line AGAIN, but this guy was a special case apparently.

"Are you religious? Because you're the answer to all my prayers, and your body's like a temple," he called as I was about to cross the street.

"Sorry, there are no services in this temple today. Or ever, as far as you're concerned," I called over my shoulder and crossed the street. "Idiot," I mumbled to myself.

As I entered the store, I noticed there was only one customer, who Alice was attending to. I went to the cash register and Rosalie came and stood with me.

"Jasper went back to the hospital, right?" I asked. Rosalie nodded.

"Bella, why did you take so long in the bathroom? I was about to come back over to see if anything was wrong, you were gone a whole fifteen minutes," she said.

"Fifteen minutes? Really? Well, it's not my fault. This arrogant jackbackside with really lame pick-up lines was trying to get me to go out with him. He was really starting to piss me off," I said. I huffed in annoyance just thinking about him.

"Jackbackside?" Rose laughed.

"I've been trying not to curse, and jackbackside is not a curse."

"Bella, darling Bella, where do you come up with these random words?" she giggled. "Oh my God, that's so going to be my new favourite word, haha!"

Alice finished with the customer, came over, and was told about the , too, laughed at my random word.

We made it through the rest of the day with only 9 other customers.

Alice needed to advertise more, since that was the only reason I could think of as to why more people wouldn't come to the store. Her creations really were fabulous, and weren't unreasonably priced. But then, the cost of advertising the store was rather high. I decided to talk to Alice about this later.

Rosalie came over later that day so that we could all get ready for dinner and leave together. At least, that's the reason she voiced out loud. I knew she just wanted to play Bella Barbie with Alice.

Anyway, we got home, and relaxed for a bit before Alice decided that we needed a whole three hours to get me ready for dinner. ( I rolled my eyes at this)They sent me to shower and wash my hair while they gathered their torture devices. When I stepped out of the bathroom in a bathrobe, they sat me down facing away from the mirror, so I could see the 'amazing ' transformation when they were done.

Alice at once started to blow dry my hair while Rose did my nails. When Alice was done, she tied up my hair half-way and curled the ends. She and Rose stepped back to admire their work, and I swear, their eyes were lit up like a child's on Christmas morning.

They put on make-up for me, a little more than I was comfortable with, but I could live with it. It's not like I cared what this guy thought of me anyway. Then, Alice ran to her room and came back with a black garment bag in her arms.

"Bella, I made this for you last week, waiting for an occasion to come up so you could wear it. And, don't you dare fuss about it, you're wearing it tonight," Alice said, wagging her finger like a mother scolding a child. Rose unzipped the garment bag, and the two of us gasped in unison.

"It's beautiful, Alice," murmured Rose.

"More than beautiful, it's GORGEOUS. Thank you, my favourite little pixie!" I exclaimed.

The dress was a sleeveless, A-line, knee-length, emerald green cocktail dress that flared out at the waist. Breathtakingly stunning. I loved it even more, because it was the colour of my dream boy's eyes.

"Put it on, Bella, while Rose and I get ready. We'll be down in half an hour," Alice said, skipping down the stairs.

Obediently, I put on the dress and turned towards the mirror. I gasped. Alice and Rose did wonderfully. I looked like a princess. I couldn't believe the woman in the mirror was me. I was still standing there when Rosalie and Alice came downstairs and were ready to leave.

"Ok, Bella, if you don't stop staring at yourself, we're leaving without you," Rose said as she rummaged through the set of keys in the bowl. She pulled out a key with a hot pink heart shaped keychain, so I figured we were taking Alice's Porsche 911 Turbo. That car was a birthday gift from her parents when she turned 21. Yeah, Alice's parents were rich, too.

Rose was wearing a white halter-back dress that reminded you of Marilyn Monroe. As princessy as I looked, so looked ten times better. Alice was wearing a similar dress to mine, except hers was blue, and more slim-fitting.

We got into the Porsche, with Alice driving. She turned on the radio and Poker Face by Lady Gaga came on.

"_Mum mum mum mahMum mum mum mahI wanna hold em' like they do in Texas PlaysFold em' let em' hit me raise it baby stay with me (I love it)Luck and intuition play the cards with Spades to startAnd after he's been hooked I'll play the one that's on his heartOh, oh, oh, oh, ohhhh, ohh-oh-oh-ohh-oh-ohI'll get him hot, show him what I've gotOh, oh, oh, oh, ohhhh, ohh-oh-oh-ohh-oh-oh, I'll get him hot, show him what I've gotCan't read my, Can't read myNo he can't read my poker face(She's got to love nobody)Can't read myCan't read myNo he can't read my poker face(She's got to love nobody)P-p-p-poker face, p-p-poker faceMum mum mum mahP-p-p-poker face, p-p-poker faceMum mum mum mah"_

We all loved this song, and we sang along. When the song came to an end, a lame joke popped up in my head, that sucked so much, it was actually funny.

"Hey, do you know how to wake up Lady Gaga?" I asked. When both Alice and Rose shook their heads, I delivered the punch line.

"Poke her face! Haha! Get it?" I burst out laughing. They chuckled too, but more at the fact that I thought the joke was funny.

"Wow, Bella, your jokes never get any better. They're still as stale as ever," said Rose, shaking her head in mock disapproval.

I sighed. I knew my jokes always were and always would be lame.

We pulled up at the restaurant, and got out of the car.

"Welcome to _Senses_, do you have a reservation?" The maitre'd asked.

"We're meeting people here under the reservation 'Swan'," I told him. He nodded and told us to go to the table on the private platform at the back of the restaurant.

We followed his directions, and when we were in sight of the table, where my mother, father and their guest were already seated, I froze.

"Bells, what's the matter?" asked a concerned Rosalie.

"Guys," I managed to choke out. "That man sitting with my parents. That's the man they want to set me up with.""Yeah, we know this already, Bella. That can't be what has you in this state," said Alice.

I shook my head.

"The reason I froze up was because that man… He's Mr. Jackbackside."


	3. The Way You Make Me Feel!

_**A/N: Hey Guys...this story was adopted by me from RandomChickOliviaxx...so all credit for this chapter goes to her! :D**_

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**Chapter 3: The Way You Make Me Feel**

"_The reason I froze up was because that man… He's Mr. Jackbackside."_

Alice and Rosalie met my eyes. Then they shared a glance and simultaneously burst out laughing.

"_That's _Mr. Jackbackside? Oh my God!" Rosalie choked out.

"Rose! It's not funny! Stop it!" I slapped their arms. "This isn't good!"

"Bella!"

Charlie, my dad, had spotted us. Now I had no more time to mentally prepare myself.

Charlie stood up, beckoning us to the table. I saw Mr Jackbackside look up to see who "Bella" was and I caught the shocked look on his face. He obviously recognised me. I scowled inwardly when the shock on his face morphed into a smug smirk.

Alice and Rose finally calmed down, and Alice gripped my shoulders to propel me forward.

"Come on Bella, we have to go. "

I sighed and conceded. When we got to the table, I hugged my parents.

"Hi Mom, Hi Dad."

"Hi honey, this is Dr. Jacob Black. He's your age, and he works at the hospital with Jasper. His parents go to our country club, Isn't that nice?" asked Mom. She was so eager to introduce the man to me she said it all in one breath.

"Of course it is," I replied, resisting the urge to roll my eyes. For the sake of being polite, I extended my hand to Mr. Jackbackside. "Nice to meet you, doctor. I'm Isabella."

Still wearing his smirk, he shook my hand .

"Not as nice as it is to meet you, Isabella. Call me Jacob," he hinted. Too bad, I thought, you don't get the privilege of calling me Bella.

Rosalie, Alice and I took our seats. I deliberately took the furthest seat from Mr. Jackbackside. I was seated between Rosalie and Alice. Next to Alice was an empty chair for Jasper, and then there was Jacob's seat. I pitied Jasper for having to sit next to him.

My parents and Jacob had decided to wait for us before ordering, so within five minutes of our arrival, a waiter approached our table to take our orders.

My parents both ordered some rich people dish with caviar and duck. I mentally rolled my eyes at them. Why did they feel the need to order the most expensive things just because they thought high society people did it? I would never understand that.

Rosalie and Alice both ordered soups and salads, and Alice ordered a spaghetti dish for Jasper. I decided on the fettuccine alfredo.

Mr. Jackbackside hesitated, then earned a glare from me by saying, "I think I'll have the same as Bella- what's good enough for her is good enough for me."

My mother couldn't suppress an "aww" at this, and made a comment about how cute Jacob and I would be together, to which I responded indignantly that I had just met him and it was a bit early to say something like that.

"We'll see," was her response.

I fixed a stern stare on her that plainly asked of her, " How many times do I have tell you not to set me up with anyone before it actually sinks in?"

She stared back defiantly, seeming to say, " Isabella Marie Swan, you WILL like this boy!"

I rolled my eyes at her and her expression turned disapproving at my rude display. Everyone at the table was silent, sensing the tension between me and my mother.

Luckily, at that moment, Jasper arrived. He comically tripped over his untied shoelaces, and once we were sure he was alright, everyone but Alice (who continued to fuss over him) burst out laughing. The uncomfortable silence and tense mood were instantly dispelled.

The rest of dinner went relatively smoothly. We talked about inconsequential things, like work and Project Runway. The one thing we all had in common, even Mr. Jackbackside, was that we were all annoyed at the judges for eliminating Shirin. She was our favourite.

At the end of the meal when we were all getting ready to leave, I realized I had no way to get home. Alice was leaving with Jasper and my parents lived nowhere close to my apartment. Maybe Rose could give me a lift.

"Rose," I asked as we all stood up to leave, "could you give me a ride home?"

"Of cour-" she began, but was interrupted by my mother.

"But, why doesn't Jacob drop you home? I'm sure he'd have no objections," Mom said with a smile.

"But-" I started to say, but Mr. Jackbackside interrupted me.

"No, of course I'll take Bella home," he said . I glared at him.

I tried to make an objection, but I was cut off yet again by my mother saying that it was more convenient if Jacob dropped me home since my apartment was less out of the way for him than it was for Rosalie.

I couldn't think of any other argument, so I grudgingly said goodbye to everyone and got into Mr Jackbackside's silver convertible Mercedes Benz.

"So where do you live," he asked as he started the car. In a harsh voice I barked out directions to him. I caught the taken aback look on his face at my tone as he pulled out of the parking space and I instantly felt guilty.

I realized I was treating him unfairly. After all, all he'd done was try to chat up a girl he met in Subway. He was only one out of the thousands of people who'd tried that already.

I really was overreacting . Just because I didn't want a man in my life at the moment didn't mean I had to treat the other sex in such an appalling way. By now Mr Jackbac- Jacob. By now, Jacob must think I'm a bitch, what with all the glares and attempted rejections. And calling him Mr Jackbackside. Even though he didn't know I did it, I really should stop. Eventually I'd make slip and call him that to his face. Or worse- to my mother. That would NOT be good.

Maybe Jacob Black wasn't arrogant. Maybe he just seemed that way to me at Subway because I was looking for a reason to reject him. Maybe I should give him a chance.

I was going to apologize to him. Maybe even make friends with him.

I worked up the courage to say it and spit it out before I could back down.

"Jacob, I'm sorry I'm being such a bitch to you!"

"What?" He turned to stare at me incredulously.

"Eyes on the road!"

"Oh, right, sorry!" he said as he fixed his attention on the street in front of him.

"I'm sorry for acting like a bitch, Jacob. I'm happy being alone in my life for now, so when you tried to chat me up in Subway, I got on the defensive side. I was mean to you so that you would take a hint and stop hitting on me. See, I really don't need a man in my life, a fact that my mother will never understand, so being hit on is really annoying.""Wha-" he began, but I cut him off.

"Let me finish. I've just realized how unfairly I've been treating you, so I have to say I'm sorry. About dinner too. My mother must have given you false hopes, talking about her daughter who 'really wants to meet you.' That's what she tells every guy she tries to set me up with. She doesn't get that I'm perfectly fine on my own. It's annoying. But that's no excuse for the way I've been treating you. I'm sorry for acting like this without giving you a chance. You don't deserve that."He paused for a while.

"I'm sorry too, I guess. For pushing myself on you like that when you obviously didn't want me too. I shouldn't have been so cocky. I hope you can forgive me, Isabella," he said with sincerity in his voice. He really was starting to seem like a nice guy, once I got past my prejudices.

"Call me Bella," I said with a smile that let him know he was forgiven. "D you think we can start over?"

I realized he'd just pulled up in front of my apartment building. He grinned.

"Well, hey there Bella! I'm Jacob. Think we can be friends?"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*A weekend passed and Monday came. It was July 2nd. Emmett's graduation was the next day, which meant that my parents were flying out to Florida that night, and they would be back, bringing Emmett, on Wednesday the 4th. I was so excited to see him again!

He'd be back, 23 years old and with a law degree. My father had already worked everything out so that Emmett already had a job. He'd be working in the law firm owned by my parents. You'd think that a lawyer would have a grim, foreboding personality, but that would never be Emmett. He was like a friendly huggable huge bear. (But if you got on his bad side, I would pity you…)

Anyway, the weekend that had just passed was a cheerful one. On Friday, Jacob and I went out for drinks after work, AS FRIENDS. I realized I was right in thinking that he seemed arrogant to me because I was looking for a reason not to like him. He was really a nice guy.

On Saturday, Rosalie, Alice, Jasper, Jacob and I went out to lunch. It turned out that Jasper didn't mean what he said before about not like Jacob. They were actually really good friends. He'd just said it because his "big brother instincts" were kicking in. But he was alright now that he was sure I like Jacob as nothing more than a friend.

Sunday was spent in my apartment all alone. Alice was with Jasper somewhere off gallivanting in New York city, so I had the day to relax. I slept late and when I got up, I was content to sit out on the balcony and read my much worn out copy of Wuthering Heights. Eventually I got restless, so I got up and baked some cupcakes. Of course, when Alice and Jasper returned home and Rose came over, those cupcakes didn't last long.

When I got up for work on Monday morning, for some reason I felt excited and energetic. I was actually awake before Alice. I had a good feeling about the day.

During the night, I'd dreamt about the green-eyed, bronze-haired guy again. It was a nice dream, though it simply consisted of me laying in his arms in the middle of a breathtaking meadow with him whispering sweet nothings in my ear. It made for a restful sleep, and I was eager to begin my day.

Alice, Rose and I went to work as usual. In between serving customers ( who, by some miracle, were NOT scarce today), we started planning a welcome home party for Emmett. We'd decided to have it on Thursday after work, so he'd have time to rest and get over his jet lag. Alice decided that we should go looking for outfits to wear during our lunch hour.

"Whatever you say, Boss," Rose and I responded simultaneously. We giggled at Alice's scowl.

The excitement from this morning had not yet worn off. For once I was looking forward to shopping with Alice.

"I have one qualification though," I said as Alice hung the 'Closed for lunch sign on the door. "Can we shop on a budget? I don't really like spending my parents money even they don't mind it."

"Fine," she responded. "We can go to TJ Maxx, and whatever we find there I'll take home and Alice-fy it so that we have totally unique, gorgeous outfits.""And there's nothing we love better than an Alice-fied outfit," Rose interjected. We all burst into a fit of giggles.

Five minutes later, we entered the closest TJ Maxx outlet. The excitement inside of me got out of hand. I was hyper. Not hyper like Alice on coke, but just bouncy and overly happy. Something good was coming, I could feel it. I just didn't know what.

We went to the section with dresses and Alice immediately began pulling some off their racks. She dumped about 6 dresses in my arms and about the same for Rose. She then gathered about the same amount. Then we dispersed into different dressing rooms to try on our clothes.

I set down the pile of dresses in my dressing room and held up the first one. Despite the bubbly feeling, I felt annoyance at Alice. The dress was red, with a plunging neckline and slits halfway up the thighs. It was gorgeous of course, but something I would never have the self esteem to wear.

Dress in hand, I marched out of my dressing room and over to the one that I thought Alice had gone into.

"Mary Alice Brandon, how dare you try to put me in something this slutty?" I exclaimed in an annoyed, slightly angry tone. I threw the dress over the door.

I heard a soft chuckle from the other side of the door that most definitely was NOT Alice. A jittery feeling coursed through me at the sound, and I was instantly calm again.

"Um, miss? This is the men's dressing room…" came the velvety male voice from the other side of the door. My cheeks warmed. There was something about that voice- I'd heard it before, but I wasn't too sure where. But the sound of that voice made a pleasant feeling was over me, almost dispelling my embarrassment, but not quite strong enough to do that. I doubt there was anything in the world strong enough to override my embarrassment.

"Oh… I'm so sorry sir," I stuttered. "Could you pass that dress back to me? I have a pixie to go scold."With another laugh that had my brain turning into mush, he complied. In the act of passing the dress to me, his fingers brushed against mine. A jolt of electricity branched out from the area he touched to the rest of my body. I felt like I'd melted. I was lost and I stood right there for what felt like hours, but must have only been milliseconds.

I gathered my thoughts and got back to reality.

"Ahem…well… sorry again, sir," I sounded out. I hurried away back to my dressing room, forgetting about scolding Alice for the dress.

When I got back to the dressing room, I did something that I'd only seen done in movies and always wanted to do. The movie thing was partly the reason I wanted to do it, but I also did it because the emotions I felt made the actions feel natural…

I closed the door and leaned against it, clutching the red dress as if it were my lifeline. I inhaled the scent of it- I couldn't really explain why I did that. Maybe I was hoping to catch the scent of the mystery dude, I don't know.

I was in a happy daze. Just from brushing fingers with some random guy I didn't even know over a TJ Maxx dressing room door. I didn't even know his name or what he looked like. What was wrong with me?

I didn't know his name! Normally I would have felt dumb when I realized I hadn't gotten his name, but I didn't feel that was now. I was floating on a cloud of contentment. Somehow, I felt I wasn't MEANT to know his name, not yet. That was an odd feeling. Something that I'd never imagined feeling.

Strange, wasn't it, that no one could ever make me feel this way before, but the one to evoke these emotions was a complete and total stranger?

At that moment, a phone in the dressing room next to me went off. The ring tone was a Michael Jackson song.

"_The way you make me feel_

_(the way you make me feel)_

_You really turn me on_

_(you really turn me on)_

_You knock me off of my feet_

_(you knock me off of my feet)_

_My lonely days are gone_

_(my lonely days are gone)"_

_I burst out laughing. How ironic._

"_Oh wow," I sighed. "Oh me, Oh my…"_


	4. Edward and Esme

_**A/N: Hey Guys...this story was adopted by me from RandomChickOliviaxx...so all credit for this chapter goes to her! :D**_

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**Chapter 4: Edward and Esme**

"Esme? I'm home," Edward Masen called to his mother as he entered their rundown apartment in New York. He put down his things on the kitchen table, got a glass of water and a bottle of medication, and went to his mother's bedroom.

"Mom," he crooned to the sick woman lying in bed, "it's six o'clock. Time for your meds."

Esme Masen sat up slowly and looked at her son. He was holding two pills in his outstretched hands, with water, ready for her to take. He was such a dear. Not many parents could boast that they had a son who dropped what he was doing every six hours just so he could check on them and make sure they were taking their medicine.

She took her pain medicine readily and gulped down the water.

"Thank you, dear. So how was your day?" she asked. Edward smiled- or, no, he put on the ghost of the beautiful grin he'd had a year ago. Even when she was in pain, his mother was still focused on _his _wellbeing.

"My day was fine, Esme. I went to work at the grocery, and I went to my afternoon class. Today was my last class. Do you realize I'll be graduating in two weeks? I can't believe it!"

Esme chuckled weakly. "Neither can I! Time has flown by so quickly!"

"It really has," Edward agreed, trying to push away the saddening thoughts of his father that were associated with the passage of time. He knew his mother was doing the same. "Now, you need your rest. Go to sleep! I'll check on you later."

He left the room. Esme watched him go and sighed. The boy had life hard these days. She was thankful that her son was so strong, and that he loved and cared for her so much. She needed him to stay strong for her, because she couldn't do it alone… life was hard on her, too.

Edward made himself a cup of tea and sank down into an old armchair in the living room, close to his mother's bedroom. He sighed and took a sip.

He'd lied to his mother. His day hadn't been fine. It had been horrible. He'd almost gotten fired from his job as a cashier at the grocery because of a woman and her melons… trust me, it's not as bad as it sounds, but you really do NOT want to go into that story. Anyway, if he hadn't been able to solve the situation and avoid getting fired, he would have been in a terrible predicament. And things were already bad enough as it was.

The Masens had never been rich, even when Edward's dad was alive. They'd always lived in that rundown apartment , but they were happy and okay with their poor status. They didn't care what people thought.

Edward's father, Edward Sr., had been a professional actor for the stage. He'd never acquired many jobs, but what he did get was enough to sustain his family.

He'd met Esme on a vacation to Florida. She'd been a rich society girl there, but they fell in love. Her parents, however, were dead set against him because he was poor. So she eloped with him.

She left everything behind to move to New York with him. They married at City Hall and soon after had Edward. The boy was the spitting image of his father: unusual bronze hair, emerald coloured eyes, absolutely gorgeous, even as a child.

Anyway, while Edward Sr. worked onstage, Esme worked as a maid to augment their earnings. As Edward got older, he worked summer jobs, but his parents never took the money he offered them. They insisted he keep his money, so he saved up to buy musical instruments- he'd been born with a love of music. He eventually saved enough to buy a second-hand acoustic guitar and a second-hand keyboard. The good thing about the keyboard was that he could plug earplugs into it and play even when everyone was asleep.

Edward loved music with an unbelievable fervour, and his parents saw that he was talented, so they tried to get him into a college to specialize in the arts. No school would take him on full scholarship, and the ones that offered partial scholarships asked them to pay far more than they could afford. So, Edward ended up at community college. He never minded it, though, because he was doing what he loved- making music.

They'd been a happy family, even with a poor financial status. But the year before, a tragedy struck that left Esme and Edward in a horrible position.

Edward Sr. had been killed in a car accident. It tore at them inside to know that they'd both lost the man they loved the most. It wasn't just emotionally troubling, but it hurt their already small bank account. There was only enough money to last them about 8 months, a year if they budgeted carefully.

This meant that Edward had to get a job, since they could not live off Esme's money from being a maid alone. Since Edward was still in college, he got a part time job at the local supermarket. Surprisingly, the pay was decent.

But, another tragedy struck just four months before. Just when they'd gotten used to Edward Sr. being gone, Esme fell ill. She was on bed rest, meaning that Edward's earnings were their only source of income. Esme seemed to think this was enough,

Edward begged to differ. He pushed himself in college, knowing that with this degree in the arts, he could get a proper job that paid substantially well. They'd always been fine with their poor status, but Edward couldn't bear it now. He was worried by it. He needed healthcare for his sick mother, and he couldn't afford it. It was frustrating.

Edward finished his cup of tea and checked on his mother. She seemed to be asleep. He wanted to stay close to her. She was the only person left on earth that he cared for, and if he lost her, his heart would never mend.

He went to his room and brought his keyboard to Esme's. He set it up close to her and plugged in his headphones so he wouldn't disturb her. He looked at her sleeping form and began to play her favourite song, a composition he'd written for her in happier times, and for want of a better title, called 'Esme's Favourite.'

Unknown to Edward, Esme had been feigning rest. She was trying to relax to get rid of the pain. When she saw Edward over his keyboard, she smiled affectionately, though it was a weak smile.

"Edward, pull out the headphones, I want to hear."

"Sorry, Mom, did I wake you?" He complied with her request.

"No, I wasn't even asleep. Just play, dear, it'll help me to relax." She smiled as Edward obeyed and began to play her favourite song.

As he played, she watched him, and felt guilty. Everything he was going through was making him grow up fast. He may not have realized it, but she noticed that he hadn't been truly happy since before his father died. His smile and laughter never reached his eyes anymore, which was a shame.

When Edward Sr. was alive, he used to say to Esme in joke, "Darlin', we've spawned one damn good-looking little thing!" He was right… Edward was extremely easy on the eyes. He used to be constantly harassed by admirers ( both girls _and_ boys) asking for dates. He'd always said no, though, because no one really intrigued him. Anyway, this all happened before the death.

Esme noticed that since the death, Edward hadn't been asked out much. She knew it was because while people admired him, they hesitated to approach him because they could sense his sorrow. Esme felt guilty for taking away his happiness by making him worry about her and her illness.

She admired her son, though. He had a courage and a strength that she could only pray for. To have lost your father and have your mother fall ill while in a poor financial position could never be easy on one so young- for Edward was only 24. She knew that if she were put in his position, she could never have borne it as well as he did.

Lost in her thoughts and lulled to sleep by her boy, Esme Masen fell into a peaceful slumber, that was not feigned this time. Despite her worrisome thoughts, her son's presence seemed to calm her.

And Edward got a peaceful sleep for once, too, knowing that his mother was alright for the moment.

The next morning, when he woke up, he recalled an odd dream. He'd been on a beach at sunset, but he only dimly acknowledged the beautiful settings. His focus was on a beautiful girl, who seemed to be just as captivated by him as he was by her.

They sat facing each other, and he was aware that he was playing You and Me by Lifehouse to the beauty. He realized how fitting the song was, since he really couldn't take his eyes off of her. Her long heavenly mahogany hair and chocolate coloured eyes held him. There was some energy in the air between them.

As he finished the song, on impulse, he kissed her forehead. It was something that he'd seen his father do to his mother many times. In that kiss, he felt overwhelming adoration, love, happiness… and hope. Somehow, she'd given him hope.

And at that point, the most random thing happened. Penguins appeared out of nowhere and attacked him, shouting:

"YOU ARE NOT A SUITABLE BOY!"

He woke up here, feeling utterly confused. _Penguins? What the hell? _had been his first thoughts.

Soon his thoughts turned to the girl. Who was she? Was she even real? How could she make him feel that way? Why did he feel love in that kiss, when he didn't even know her? COULD she be real? Oh, he hoped she was…

He dreamed about the girl the next night, too, except this dream did not contain violent penguins. It was relatively normal. They were dancing and he was singing She Bangs by Ricky Martin to her. She was laughing. Oh, her laugh…

It was light, and happy, like a gentle wind that left fire in its wake… for her laughter set Edward's heart ablaze. He was staring into her eyes like a blind man seeing the Sun. An apt description, though, to him, her beauty was far more brilliant than the Sun, Moon and all the stars combined.

She was about to kiss him… Her lips were barely a centimetre away from his. He was anticipating the soft feeling of her lips, and then as they were about to touch- she vanished into thin air! He was left they disappointed, and woke up totally confused once again.

Who was this dream girl? The feeling she evoked seemed too real to just be something his imagination conjured up…

The week passed without another dream. He spent the week working and taking care of Esme. It seemed that those two dreams would be the last he ever had of her, since he had not had anymore. It was shockingly sad… and he was brought out of his sadness the next Sunday night.

The night brought another dream of mystery girl. It wasn't exciting, they'd just laid in each other's arms in a meadow. But still, Edward was glad he dreamt of her again, though he couldn't comprehend why. The little dose of dream girl left him relaxed and content for the day ahead.

Anyway, the next day ( Monday July 2nd) came with the realization that Edward needed new dress pants for his graduation.

"When on a budget, shop TJ Maxx," Esme told him, sounding like an advertisement. He laughed, but, indeed, he went to TJ Maxx with a budget of - dollars to find some decent pants.

As he entered the store, he felt an odd flutter of anticipation in his stomach. He didn't know what it was, but he felt slightly more cheerful than usual.

He found the section with men's dress pants and began his search. An hour later, he still hadn't found a pair. He was somewhat frustrated. Suddenly, a rather hyper tiny person carrying a huge load of dresses bumped into him, causing him to fall into a rack of pants, which in turn fell over as well.

"Oops, sorry!" the bundle of energy called in a feminine voice over her shoulder. He couldn't even see her face and he marvelled at how she could actually see where she was going.

"M'okay!" he called back. The little thing hadn't even stopped. She continued to wherever she was going with all those dresses.

Edward pulled himself up and sighed as he began to clean up the mess he'd made with the clothes. He knew he could have left it to the store clerks, but his mother raised him with manners, and manners say you clean up your OWN mess!

As he was putting the pants on the rack, he came across a pair that seemed perfect for him. Decent-looking, his size, and a quick check on the tag told him it was four dollars under budget. He decided to try them on.

He walked into the dressing room and put them on. They fit perfectly, so he decided to buy them. He took them off to put on his own pants when he heard an annoyed, yet shockingly beautiful female voice.

"Mary Alice Brandon, how dare you try to put me in something this slutty?"

A red dress was flung over his dressing room door and landed on Edward's surprised head. He shocked himself by chuckling. He hadn't laughed like that in a year! His smile reached his eyes for once!

"Um, miss, this is the men's dressing room…" he trailed off with a hint of amusement in his voice.

That girl's voice was mesmerizing. It was the voice of an angel, albeit an annoyed one. There was something familiar about it, though. He'd heard it before but he wasn't sure where. At any rate, that voice made him smile like he hadn't in so long.

"Oh… I'm sorry, sir," the angel stuttered. Edward laughed again. "Could you pass that dress back to me? I have a pixie to go scold."

Figuring that the pixie was this "Mary Alice Brandon" person, he complied with the angel's request. As he held the dress over the door, he felt soft feminine fingers brush against his. Not to be cliché, but in that moment of contact, he honestly felt a jolt of electricity pass between them. He was frozen with his fingers touching hers, not wanting to lose that good feeling spark. It felt like he'd been there for months, but could have only been seconds. He wondered if she felt it too.

She was the one who broke contact, and he was rudely recalled to reality.

"Ahem." She cleared her throat. "Well… sorry, again, sir…" He heard her footsteps rushing away.

Who was this girl? Edward realized that throughout the encounter, he'd had a real smile on his face. He also realized he hadn't gotten the girl's name.

"Wait," he cried out, hoping he wasn't too late. He made to open the door and look out to see if the girl was still there, but he realized he wasn't wearing any pants.

"Jeez!" he exclaimed in exasperation as he threw on his pants. He yanked open the door. He looked around, and then banged his head on the door.

"Idiot, idiot, idiot!" he groaned. He had been too late. There was no girl holding a red dress that he could see. He had no idea who she was now. Not her name, not even what she looked like. It was ridiculous how amazing he'd felt touching her fingers, and how lost her voice made him, but he… he was such an idiot! If her voice and a simple touch alone could make him crazy, this girl might have been special, but he, the bamseescratch that he was, let her get away!

"Wherefore art thou, mystery girl?" he muttered to himself. He dejectedly got his pants from the dressing room and paid for them. As he was about to leave the store, he glanced around again to see if anyone looked like she could be his girl.

To his misfortune, none of the girls in the store looked special to him. There was a tall, gorgeous blonde standing close to the women's dressing room, and a strikingly beautiful, yet much shorter black haired girl next to her, but they were merely pretty. He didn't think either of them were his girl… they didn't look _special_. Sighing, he walked out of TJ Maxx. Despite his frustration, for some odd reason he was happy. He didn't understand it, but he figured it must have something to do with that girl.

After leaving the store, Edward took the bus back to the apartment to check on his mother to make sure she took her medicine. Esme noticed that today, when Edward smiled at her, it wasn't the fake smile that he'd been using for the last year. It was a real smile, echoed in his eyes and even in his voice. Wisely, she chose not to question the change. She just smiled along with her son, joyful to see him happy.

After he checked on her, her went to the community college. They were having graduation rehearsals for Wednesday. Edward knew that his mother could not attend his graduation because of her sickness, and he regretted that. But he accepted the fact and gotten over it a long time ago, as had Esme.

At rehearsal, Edward was still inexplicably cheerful. His soon-to-be former classmates noticed it, but didn't know what to attribute it to. But they all found that with his radiant smile, today he looked devastatingly handsome. Even a good number of the boys admired him.

He'd always been good-looking, just no one had really bothered to waste time in admiration of him since he always seemed to be depressed and averse to interaction with others. The fact that he was smiling with real emotion pushed his "hotness" over the edge today. He went from "unapproachable" to "unbelievably gorgeous…"

That day for the first time in so long, Edward was asked out. Four girls and a guy asked him on dates. He was shocked, flattered and a little freaked out by the attention. Of course, he said no to them all. He wasn't really interested in any of them. He was oblivious as to why he was suddenly getting all this attention, though.

When he went home, he told Esme about his day.

"Ma, the weirdest thing happened today! I got asked out by four girls… and a guy! That part was the freakiest. I didn't even know Aro was gay… But, Mom, I haven't been asked out in close to a year! I wonder what's changed all of a sudden…"

Esme laughed at him and teased him about Aro, but in her head was thinking the same thing. _What really has changed all of a sudden? I wonder what's brought this honest-to-God happiness to him? But, let me not pick this apart. I shouldn't question the miracle. I'll just be glad for it._

That night, Esme once again fell asleep to her boy playing the keyboard. After she fell asleep, Edward plugged in his headphones and thought about the girl from TJ Maxx.

Suddenly, he remembered another mystery girl. The dream girl! The feelings she gave him seemed to be the same as the ones the girl evoked today in the store. Could they be the same person? If they were, would he ever get a chance to meet her again? He didn't know, he just knew that she was like the eye of a storm for him. She gave him peace and hope in a messed up world full of hardships. He hoped with all his might that she was real, that he would get the chance to meet her again.

Thinking about his mystery girl, inspiration coursed through him, and he put his fingers on the keys. He let his emotions course through him. And so, the musician began to compose.

At that exact moment, in a totally different part of town, Isabella Swan was sitting on her bed, cross-legged with her laptop balanced on her knees. She was thinking of her mystery guy. She felt a buzz of contentment and inspiration, and let her feelings take over. It felt like her writer's block had been dispelled as she opened a blank document.

She put her fingers on the keys. Her emotions were pouring through her fingertips. And so, the author began to write.


	5. Welcome Home, Emmett!

_**A/N: Hey Guys...this story was adopted by me from RandomChickOliviaxx...so all credit for this chapter goes to her! :D**_

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**Chapter 5: Welcome Home, Emmett**

_Our fingers were intertwined as we climbed up the black cliff together. The sky was gray and overcast as we made our way to the top. It felt as though we were going up there to jump off together, but we didn't feel sad. He was wearing a black suit, and oh, he looked so good... I was wearing that emerald green dress that Alice had made for me the other day. He kept glancing at me, and when he did, he would smile softly and I would return it._

_We reached the top of the cliff and just looked at each other. Out of nowhere, the orchestral breakdown of Broken by Seether started to play, and then we were dancing, but like in slow motion, spinning around and around on top of the cliff. We came precariously close to the edge, but we never fell and I knew he wouldn't let me._

_I looked up at him and he smiled at me and I touched his face lightly. _

And then I woke up. Gah, why must all my dreams of this guy be interrupted at the best parts? These dreams were annoying... But on the other hand, they made me happy and dreamy, and words couldn't describe the rest... These dreams, this boy pulled me out of my writer's block...

It was Thursday morning, and my encounter with the guy from TJ Maxx had been on Monday. That evening, when I came home, I started to think about why his touch and his voice made me frenzied. And I realized that his voice and his touch made me feel the same way the guy from my dreams did. So, what if they were the same person? What if my dream boy was real? I was going to let myself believe this, because it was a pleasant thought.

Monday night was also when I was hit with inspiration and I started to write again. Since then, I'd been typing almost non-stop. I still went to work at Alice's shop, but I stayed in the back and typed away mostly, leaving the work to Alice and Rosalie. They didn't bother me because they knew how big of a deal the fact that I was able to write again was.

Anyways, back to the present. It was Thursday, meaning that Emmett's party was 'd flown in late last night with Mom and Dad, but it was too late for me to go and see him, so tonight would be my first time seeing my brother in 6 months. His party was going to be held at Alice's and my apartment. So today, Alice and Rosalie went to the store, and I stayed home to prepare for the party.

I ate breakfast and had a bath, and then booted up my laptop to write again. I got in three hours of writing before lunch. After I ate I decided to give my writing a break and prepare for the party. I spent the rest of the afternoon cooking, as everyone was due to arrive at 6 p.m. Something that everyone appreciated about me was that I loved cooking, and according to those who tasted my food, I was amazing at it too. For every party we had, I was always nominated as chef.

When I was young, we had a personal chef, and I would always go down to the kitchen and just watch her cook. It was fascinating. Eventually, Jenny, the chef, let me help her in the kitchen, and she taught me to cook. My parents never noticed because they were always busy, but one day my mom came downstairs and saw me in the kitchen with Jenny. She promptly fired her. She didn't approve of me being in the kitchen, because " no daughter of hers was going to be a lowly cook." I didn't care what she said, though, and I continued cooking, because I loved it, almost as much as I loved to write.

My parents learned to appreciate my talent when it was clear I wasn't going to give it up. I even encouraged my mother to try it too, and she liked it well enough. She didn't love it anywhere near the amount I did, but there was one thing she could always make better than me: bread. In fact, her bread could rival the top bakers in the world. But, other than that, I could cook better than my mother. Now, everyone always wanted me to cook for them.

I made Indian food today, since that was Emmett's favourite. Achari Mushroom and Basmati rice with vegetable samosas and stuffed naan bread... Emmett had good taste in food. For dessert, Rosalie was going to make crème caramel and bring it over, so I didn't have to worry about that. By the time the food was finished, it was four o'clock and Alice had arrived home.

"Go and shower right now, it's going to take two hours for me to get you looking the way i want you to!" Alice had shouted as soon as she barrelled through the door. I could tell she was excited too. Emmett was like a brother to her because he'd always been at my house whenever she would come over, and the three of us would play together as children. We were both excited to see him.

After I had my shower, I went into my room to find my dress sprawled across my bed. It was the one I'd decided on from the pile Alice gave me at TJ Maxx. It was strapless and purple, with a thick black ribbon right under the bust. From there, it flowed out and the bottom was rimmed with the same black ribbon. It was simple, but very pretty. Simple things suited me. I put it on, and Alice came into my room. She put her make-up case on my bed.

Having been accustomed to this, and knowing no amount of resistance could stop her, I just sat and let Alice do her work on my face and my hair. I didn't bother to look in the mirror when she was finished, knowing that Alice would never make me look bad. By then, it was about a quarter to six, and guests started to arrive.

Jasper and Rosalie arrived first, with dessert in hand. Then Jacob came. A few minutes later, Carlisle arrived. Carlisle Cullen was my father's best friend, who was more of an uncle to Emmett and I, and even to Alice. He was a kind man, and was one of the best doctors in the state. Finally, my parents arrived.

"Mom! Dad! Where's Emmett?" I exclaimed as soon as they opened the opened the door. They opened their mouths to respond, but were cut off by a loud, boisterous voice.

"I'm right here, Belly Boo!" A huge, smiling figure appeared in the doorway.

"Emmett!" Alice and I exclaimed. We both squealed, which was out of character for me, not so much so for Alice. Emmett squealed in mocking, but good-natured way, but was cut off when Alice and I attacked him with hugs and exclamations.

"How have you been? We missed you! How did you do in final exams? You're back, thank God! Oh my God, Emmett, I missed you so much!"

"I'm fine, I'm fine!" he chuckled as he untangled himself from our embrace. " I finished first in my class, which is awesome. And, of course I missed my little sisters." He mussed up our hair affectionately.

"Hey! Do you know how long it took me to do Bella's hair today? Don't mess it up!" Alice said indignantly, with her hand on her hips.

"Ah, Alice. Just as short and fashion obsessed as ever," Emmett shook his head in mock disapproval. He stepped back and surveyed the other people in the room. "Carlisle! How have you been! How often have you had to take care of some broken bone of Bella's while I was gone?"

Carlisle laughed and the two of them shared a manly hug, while I huffed.

"He hasn't had to see me at all, Emmett. I'm glad you have so much faith in my balance. Hmph." Everyone laughed at me.

"I don't doubt you so much, Bellaroo, I'm just concerned," he said with an affectionate smile. He turned to look at Jasper, Rosalie and Jacob. "Now who are these strangers?"

Jake stepped forward first with his hand outstretched to shake Emmett's . "I'm Dr. Jacob Black. Bella's friend. I've heard a lot about you, all good things of course!"

"I suppose you have," Emmett said, shaking Jake's hand with an appraising look on his face. I could tell that Emmett was putting force into that handshake, because Jake's face was drawn in concealed pain. I could tell he was intimidated by Emmett. It didn't matter that Em was younger than us, he was bigger than all of us put together. A giant of a man.

"And I'm Jasper Hale, Alice's boyfriend. I'm a doctor as well, and I work with Jacob. My sister and I moved here about a year ago," Jasper introduced himself. Emmett took one look at him and smiled, for what reason, I had no idea. It seemed he liked Jasper on sight. He shook hands with Jasper enthusiastically, telling him that he seemed like a good person. Then, Jasper pointed him to Rose.

She offered her hand for Emmett to shake, with her trademark smile that made every guy fall at her feet.

"I'm Rosalie Hale."

Emmett shook her hand, rolled his eyes, and said, "Hello, Rosalie," before turning back to me and asking where the food was, as he was hungry.

Rosalie, Alice and I stared in shock. We were all accustomed to every guy falling at Rose's feet. We'd all been expecting the customary five seconds where the guy stares at her, spaces out and drools. That always happened, with every guy from the man at the store, to the presidents of large companies, to the homeless men on the street, to the married men who come into Alice's store with their wives.

But all Emmett did was roll his eyes. Despite being my brother, I expected him to fall too. But he contradicted me. He didn't fall for Rose. This was a first for her. She'd never had to actively make a guy like her.

"In the kitchen, Emmett, where else would food be?" I told him as soon as I snapped out of my momentary stupor of disbelief. He went towards the kitchen, and the girls and I looked at each other as if to ask, 'what was that about?' We all just shrugged and headed to the kitchen with Em and everyone else to get our food to eat.

When we'd all taken our food, and moved to the dining table, Emmett sat at the head, with me and Alice on either sides of him. Jasper was next to her, and my mother was next to him. My father was at the other head of the table, and Carlisle was next to him. Between Carlisle and myself was Rosalie. The conversation around the table was focused on Emmett, his experiences in college and what he was planning to do now that he'd graduated. Dad proudly told everyone that Emmett had a place at his law firm.

To anyone else, Rosalie would have seemed like she was acting normally, but for one who knew her as well as Alice and I did, it was easy to see that something was up. I knew Alice had noticed it too because she kicked my foot under the table and motioned to Rosalie with her eyes.

Rosalie, while joining in the conversation now and then, was paying more attention to Emmett than she would usually pay to any one person. She was staring at him intently in a way that I knew she was hoping was inconspicuous. And I noticed, that when she spoke, she carefully avoided speaking directly to Emmett.

I knew she was intrigued by him. He'd basically snubbed her, and she wanted to know why. Snubbing Rosalie Hale was an unheard of action for every man she'd ever met. But, although they never thought of it, this would be a smart move for a guy who wanted to date her, because it would peak her interest, being an action so different to the normal responses. Although, I couldn't tell if Emmett did it for that purpose or not.

When we'd finished eating, we took our desert to eat on the balcony outside. Our apartment had a beautiful view of the city. In the middle of the scene, you saw the huge, high-rise buildings that characterized New York, and interspersed throughout that scene before us, you could see the various small shantytowns and the poorer areas of the city. The view from our apartment showed the contrast between the rich, up-scale people and the ones living in poverty.

If you thought of it that way, the view was gloomy, but I loved the view. It showed the harsh reality, and reminded me everyday to be thankful for what I had. Every year, collectively, our family donated money, clothes and food to orphanages and homeless shelters, because we knew we had a good life compared to some others.

As we sat on the balcony, enjoying the view of the city and our dessert, Emmett randomly exclaimed, "Well, damn me if this isn't the BEST crème caramel I've ever had! Who made this?"

Rosalie blushed. I was taken aback, but I hid my shock. Blushing was a rare occasion for Rose. She acknowledged that it was her, and Emmett looked slightly impressed. Like all men, my brother respected a woman who could cook.

"So, I have news," Carlisle randomly announced. We all gave him our attention and he continued. "I've been offered a job as the chief surgeon at one of the highest- ranking teaching hospitals in the U.S. The hospital is in San Francisco… and I've accepted and I'm moving there."

Everybody was silent, staring at him.

"Wow," my father said.

"That's great!" my mother exclaimed.

"Oh, we're gonna miss you! I just came back and saw you for the first time in months, and now you're leaving again?" said Emmett.

"Well, as much as I want you to stay, Uncle, who are we to hold you back from success? When are you leaving?" I asked.

"This weekend. One of my patients moved to San Francisco earlier this week, so I'd like to go up as soon as possible to check on her status," he said. "Plus, I need a change of scenery. New York is becoming too dog-eat-dog and brutal for my taste."

"Hmm… what's wrong with this patient?" my mother asked.

"She's pregnant."

"Is she married? How old is she?"

"She's twenty-five, and no she isn't. I can't tell you more than this, it's a breach of patient confidentiality."

I rolled my eyes when my mother shuddered and looked horrified. "Oh, how I absolutely hate it when unmarried girls get pregnant! I don't care about the age, it just comes across as so… slutty! Imagine if that happened in such a high society family as ours… It would be seen as a scandal and no one would hire Charlie or me ever again!"

"Uh huh, okay… who wants more crème caramel?" Emmett interrupted my mom's speech. We both hated when our mother became judgemental about people she didn't even know. I was grateful for his change of topic.

"I do, but I really should go, it's getting late. I'll see you all when I come back to visit sometime soon," Carlisle said as he left our apartment. Gradually, as the night wore on, everybody left, save for Alice and me.

After we cleaned up, we sat on the couch with a glass of champagne each.

"Bella, I need to talk to you about something… Don't be mad!" she said.

"I won't. What is it dear? Are you pregnant? Addicted to weed? I'll help you, dear!"

"Bella! Stop! It's, um, none of those things.. But Jasper asked me… to move in…with him…" she trailed off nervously. "We've been together for a year, and we both think it's time for that, but I was considering you in this huge apartment alone. This decision doesn't require my approval alone, I need yours too."

I sat there, shocked for a moment. Then I regained my senses. This was my best friend, and I wanted her to be happy. She was happy with Jasper. So I decided to let her be with Jasper.

"Of course, Alice, live with him! The man is head over heels in love with you, and he's a good friend of mine too. If you refused on account of me, you'd both hate me." Slice opened her mouth to say something, but I stopped her. "Don't worry about me. This apartment is too huge and too expensive for me alone, so I'll go back to live with my parents until can find a smaller apartment for myself. Contrary to popular belief, there is nothing wrong with someone my age living with their parents!"

"You're the best!" Alice exclaimed as she hugged me so tight, I thought my ribs would crack.

"I know. Now I'm tired. I'm going to sleep…Goodnight!"

I left Alice on the sofa staring into space and dreaming about living with Jasper. I went to bed and had my own dreams about a certain bronze-haired guy…

The next day, Emmett and I were supposed to meet up for lunch at one of our favourite diners, _Gummy Bear's_. Alice allowed me to have this day off too to spend time with my brother. In the past, I'd worked hard for her at her store, and I never asked for days off, so she let me have these two days.

I got to _Gummy Bear's _early, so I chose a corner booth by the window. While I waited for Emmett, I took in the features of the familiar diner and reminisced. The diner's décor was typical of a 1950's diner, down to the black-and-white chequered tiled floor, stainless steel counters and red vinyl booths. On the walls, there were old records in glass cases, and framed pictures of gummy bears (in keeping with the diner's name). The waitresses all zoomed about on roller skates.

On the counter next to the cash register, there was a jar that was forever filled with little packets of gummy bears, twelve to a pack. These the diner gave away free for those who wanted. This was one of the main reasons Emmett and I loved this place. That, and the jukebox in the corner that we loved messing with.

I hadn't been to this diner since my senior year of high school. Alice, Emmett and I would come here every single day after school. It was shocking that our parents would let us WALK home from school, given their standings in society and their pride, but they did, and we took as much advantage of our freedom that we could without breaking any boundaries that would get us in trouble. We wanted freedom, yes, but we weren't stupid.

On the wall behind the pie case, there was an abnormally large picture of a green gummy bear that was extremely humorous. I smiled as I thought of what that picture covered.

When Emmett was sixteen, he'd tried his hand at playing cricket, but while he excelled at all other sports, he just couldn't get the hang of this one. One day, after school when he was frustrated with the sport, we'd come to the diner to get him a chocolate sundae to appease him. He'd still had the cork ball in his hand.

Anyone who's held a cricket ball knows that its hard and heavy, and if it is thrown with great force, it could very well brain you. Well. The diner was having a rather busy day, and the waitress was taking some time to get Emmett his sundae. So Emmett lost his patience.

"I want my damn sundae, woman!"

Those were the words he'd shouted, and he'd actually forgotten how dangerous the ball in his hand was. If poor Elizabeth, the waitress, hadn't ducked, she would have ended up in the hospital. But she did duck, and so the ball hit the wall. Now, Emmett had quite an unnatural amount of strength, so the wall where the ball hit cracked and it left a crater.

Those were in the days when the diner was struggling, and so couldn't fix the hole, and the owner was too nice to force Emmett to do it, so the crater stayed. Eventually, the owner gave up on fixing it- it had become part of the diner's history.

And Elizabeth forgave Emmett quite easily for nearly killing her when he brought her chocolates the next day. But, Elizabeth could never hold grudges against him, Alice or me. She'd been a waitress at _Gummy Bear's_since we started to go there, and over the years we'd built up a lovely relationship. She was rather motherly and intuitive and a good confidante. And she snuck me a piece of my favourite pie every time she saw that I was feeling down. Great woman. I wondered if she still worked there.

That thought was joyfully put to rest as I recognised her familiar figure skating over to my table. A smile lit up her already pretty features. By now, she was in her early thirties, but from what I knew of her, she worked at that diner all her life. She still looked young, with long red hair and blue-green eyes.

"Bella!"

"Liz!"

She hugged me, but she pulled away with a wince when I gave her squeeze back. I looked at her questioningly.

"I have to be careful for baby," she said with a grin, pointing at her tummy. I gasped. And then I squealed.

"You're pregnant! Wait, when did you get married? WHO did you marry? Why wasn't I invited? Why didn't I know? Oh my God, you're pregnant!" I squealed happily again.

With a laugh, she responded to my queries.

"I got married while you were away at university, to Jared, the chef here. And you weren't invited, because we got drunk in Vegas. But neither of us regret it, we do love each other. He's the sweetest man I've ever met. He's right there, you can see him behind the kitchen counter, serving up food for the customers." She glanced at the counter, and blushed. I followed her gaze and saw a handsome man, Jared, obviously, wink at her. "And you didn't know, missy, because it's been six years since you came to see me here!"

She said the last part with feigned annoyance, but a smile broke through. The bond that we had couldn't break that easily. Maybe she WAS just a waitress, but having known her throughout my school life, she'd become a mother figure. She was easy to talk to, not judgemental, and gave awesome advice. And scolded, when the occasion called for it. She wasn't really annoyed, she was just happy to see me. Proof of how strong our bond was: we were speaking as freely as if those last six years never existed.

"I'm sorry, Liz… I went to uni, and then I came back and forgot about everything. It was stupid of me, I don't know how I could forget one of my favourite women. But, I know you haven't seen Emmett either… he's just finished university, too, and he's meeting me for lunch here!" I told her. She seemed pleased by that.

"What time is he-"

"Speak of the devil, there he is," I interrupted her and pointed at the entrance. My bear of a brother had just entered. I waved to catch his attention, and he joined us at the table. When he saw Liz, he hugged her tight, causing her to rebuke him for the safety of her baby. He responded the same way I had, and Liz told him what happened with her since we last spoke.

"That's AWESOME!" Emmett exclaimed loudly.

"Yes, it is," Liz grinned, happy with her lot in life. "But I AM on the job now, so I'd best take your order and let brother and sister bond. Or is it safe to assume you both want the usual? After six years I still remember it."

"Yes, please," Emmett and I chorused. Liz cracked another grin and headed off to the kitchen, leaving Emmett and I to ourselves.

"I'm glad she found happiness. She provided it for us so much when we used to come here years ago. She's a wonderful woman," I told Emmett.

"She is," Emmett agreed. "Now, let's catch up. How have you been little sissy? We couldn't talk freely yesterday because Mom was there, and I know how you guard your words so that she doesn't judge you, don't deny it. So, what's really going on with you?"

"What? I don't guard my words around her!" I was shocked he came to that assumption.

"Maybe it's unconscious. But you need to think about that, I guess. Now tell me what I've missed. Has Mom tried to set you up with any unsavoury characters? That Jacob Black guy seemed like someone she would like for you. Is she forcing him on you? Tell me, I'm concerned about my baby sis!" Emmett ranted impatiently as I was silent, think of what he'd originally said. I changed my train of thought so I could answer him, pushing his comment aside for the time.

"As a matter of fact, yes. She's been hounding me to settle down so she could be at my wedding. I'm only 24! And yes, she DID try to set me up with Jacob. While I hated him at the start, he accepted that I wasn't interested in him romantically, and now we're friends. Just friends, although Mom still wants me together with him. But she's not pushing it, so that's good. Something about him makes me feel a tiny bit awkward," I admitted. "But I don't know what it is. He's been a perfect gentleman, and I think that's really his character. It might just be paranoia, although I don't know what I'm paranoid about."

"One foul move by that man, and I'll emasculate him, and rip him into shreds," Emmett growled protectively.

"Emmett, calm down. He's just a regular guy. And a good doctor, from what I've heard. But let's talk about YOUR love life. Is there any special girl in your life that I should know of?" I asked him.

"No, there isn't. I'm a proud bachelor," he said with a grin and a thumbs up.

"Hey, what do you think about Rosalie?" I asked him, studying his reactions. He appeared indifferent, which surprised me.

"She's pretty, I guess, but I have girls like that falling for me all the time at college, and she isn't any different."

"Wow, cocky much?" I asked with raised eyebrows. He laughed.

"No, I don't mean it like that, I'm just stating that I've had girls like her running after me a lot over the past few years in college. She doesn't seem like something new, or different."

I was going to let him pass and leave alone about Rosalie because he seemed uninterested, but as I was about to change the topic, I noticed a flash of dishonesty and something else that I couldn't define in his eyes. I gasped.

"Oh. My. God. You're lying to me, Emmett."

"No, I'm not." He chuckled nervously

"Yes, you are"

"No, I'm not."

"Emmett, you're lying. You ARE intrigued by her!"

He sighed and stayed quiet for a few seconds, just staring at the table.

"You're right," he admitted. "But, I don't want to get caught up with someone who may not be interested in me at all, or who isn't for me. You know me, Bella. While I admire their appearance from afar, those ditzy blonde model types never suited me."

"Ditzy? Emmett you're speaking about a girl who has a degree in economics, who can fix my car better than Oscar (you know, the mechanic on 8th street that you always recommend), and the only modelling she's ever done is for Alice's catalogue. And that was only because Ali begged. As a matter of fact, we all think she'd be good for you. And what does blonde have to do with anything? Blonde doesn't necessarily mean dumb, Em."

"She can fix your car?" Emmett marvelled. "Even Oscar complained about that bucket of bolts!"

"Yep, and I haven't had to have it repaired since she fixed it." I smiled with pride for my friend. "Emmett, you don't know her yet. Get to know her first, and then decide whether or not she's for you."

"You're right, I guess. I will. But, I need your help. How do I get her to go on one date with me?"

Liz appeared with our food just then. Chocolate pancakes, bacon and French toast, swimming in syrup. Who ever said that you couldn't eat breakfast for lunch? Or that it had to be healthy? Indulgences are allowed for young people like us, who can work it off easily…

"Here's your food, dig in! I wish I could chat, but we're having a busy day. See you in a bit, guys!" Liz skated back to the kitchen. Emmett and I looked around. We had been so wrapped up in our conversation that we hadn't noticed people filling up the diner. We laughed for a moment, and settled down to eat.

"So," I said, in between bites, "you need the help of a genius like me to get the girl." I smiled and waggled my eyebrows conspiratorially.

"Yes, I need you, o great one, o wise one, o perfect matchmaker." Emmett rolled his eyes.

"Well, first things first, do not EVER buy her roses. She hates them. Thirty guys, all thinking that they were being original, brought her a dozen red ones, saying 'Roses for a Rose.' She's so sick of them now, and she honestly never liked them to begin with. And, she turned down every one of those guys, by the way. She's not as easy as television makes blondes look."

"Okay, no roses. Anything else?" His eyes were wide and he was taking in all the information he could.

"Her favourite movie is The Lake House. She likes anyone who likes that movie. And she's romantic at heart, although she may play hard to get. She loves calla lilies, which suits her, because both she and the flower are tall, elegant and beautiful. She loves a guy who can cook, because the only things she can make are crème caramel, simple sandwiches and salad. She's into sports, and she isn't your typical girly girl, although she looks like it. And she hates fakers. Be yourself with her, and you'll be fine."

"Okay, I got it all. Can I ask her out for tonight?" He looked rather eager, proving again that he really was lying to me at first.

"It's your call." I smiled at him warmly. "Go for it if you think you should."

"Thank you Belly Boo."

We finished eating, making small talk. When we finished, we left the money for the bill on the table, waved to Liz, and exited the shop.

"Okay, I'm going to Dad's firm. He told me to come by so I could see what my new office would be like. He says, since I've just come back from college, I can relax for the next two weeks, but after that, I have to start working."

"That's great, Emmett! Have fun! I'm going home to relax. Maybe later I'll go for a walk. I'll see you later, Em."

"Bye, Belly Boo!" With that, we parted ways.

I returned home, but instead of relaxing, I picked up my laptop and headed out again. I walked to Central Park to find my favourite spot.

In the Park, near to one of the ponds, there was a tree that grew in the shadow of all the others. When a tree grows in the shadow of another, it grows bent and scraggly, because it's always trying to reach around the others to get to the light. That's how this one tree looked. All the others had long, straight, elegant barks, but this one grew bent. For some reason, this tree was the most beautiful one in the Park to me, and I'd always loved to come here and sit under it, reading, writing or just relaxing.

This tree was where I headed to that day. I sat under it and opened up my laptop. I sat back, enjoying the breeze and the scenery as I waited for the computer to boot up.

I started to think about my source of inspiration, and I smiled to myself. That guy from my dreams… He was the perfect man. It was hard to believe he could exist. But, real or imaginary, he helped me. The thought of him alone helped me through everything. I was writing again, when I hadn't been for months. I knew he couldn't be real. But the thought of him was good for me. I'd just pretend he was.

The computer booted up, and I opened the document with my story. I pictured dream boy's crooked grin in my head, and I let the feelings he caused in me flow through my fingertips. Things were getting better now.

.

..

...

**...EDWARD...**

He woke with a start as he heard his alarm clock go off on Friday morning, still feeling her fingers softly caressing his face. He looked around him, disorientated, and he realized that it was, once again, just a dream. He groaned and wished he could go back to sleep. He closed his eyes, ready to drift away again.

"Edward?" He heard his mother's voice call, followed by a few feeble coughs. Edward immediately shot up, wiped the sleep from his eyes and hurried to his mother's bedroom.

"What is it, Ma? Are you okay?" he asked with concern.

"My throat is dry. Could you bring me some water? And a pain tablet?"

He complied to her request. As she took the tablet, Edward sat at the bottom of the bed and put his face in his hands.

"Ma, it really is time we take you to a doctor."

"Edward, how many times have I told you, we can't afford it! And, besides, its just a slight fever. I can handle it. I won't let a doctor see me, we can't possibly pay that fee and still have money to live on."

Edward sighed. "It's been a CHRONIC fever for the last few months, Ma. This could be progress into something worse, and we have no idea what it is!"

"I told you. I'm not going to let a doctor see me. End of. Now, don't you have a job interview today? Go get ready. And leave me alone. But, put a glass of water on my bedside table for me, please."

Edward complied grudgingly, and got ready. He was still worried. He stopped to say, "I love you, Ma," before he left, and then he stepped out onto the brutal streets of slum New York. He walked to the Subway Station, and took the Subway to one of the elementary schools. This school needed a music teacher, and Edward had an interview for that job. He'd graduated the day before, but from even before that, he'd been looking for job openings.

As he waited for the Principal to see him, he was nervous. He needed this job. He needed to make the money so he could get medical attention for his mother. He was worried to death, but he knew if he came across as grim, worrisome and unapproachable, he would never be hired. So, he thought about dream girl. No matter how scared, anxious, nervous he was, in recent times, the thought of this girl could always put a smile on his face.

"Mr. Masen? Principal Walker will see you now."

Edward got up, took a deep breath, and entered the Principal's Office.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Masen."

"Good afternoon, Principal Walker."

The two men shook hands. Edward noted that the other man had a firm handshake. Principal Walker looked as though he was in his mid-forties. He was African American, and was bald. He had a kind look about him, and he had smile lines by his eyes. Edward immediately liked him, and was at ease.

"So, Mr. Masen, I see you want this job. Can I see your résumé?" Edward handed it to him, and he skimmed it through.

"Your only work experience is as a grocery store cashier? And your only qualifications come from a community college? What makes you think you ought to get this job?" The principal asked.

Edward took a breath again, and he began. "Sir, I ought to get this job because I'd do everything in my power to be the best music teacher your school has ever seen. If you look at my credentials, you'd see that I topped the college, although that has nothing to do with getting this job. I attended community college, not because I couldn't get into any other. It was because I couldn't afford any other school. And I've just left school. That cashier job was the only job I could get. But, sir, I need this job. I'm an excellent musician, and I would work hard to make your students excellent ones too."

He knew it wasn't a convincing argument, but he didn't know what to say. He'd prepared for interview questions like this the day before, but now when he needed them, they flew out of his brain.

"Hmm… well, Mr. Masen, do you think you can handle this job? Two of the local orphanages send their children here, and they are generally students who feel neglected, and would need extra attention. We've noticed that these students are either totally unresponsive, or excessive troublemakers. All our teachers strive to give them extra attention, because they feel neglected a lot, living in houses with more children than adults. Would you be able to handle and help students like this?"

"Yes sir, I can. I believe that I'd be able to draw them out of their shells, or quiet them down some, depending on which they need. Music is good for the soul. Do you know what music therapy is? Music therapists use music-centred activities to make people comfortable with themselves and others, and it helps them. I can use music like that, while at the same time, teaching them what's on the music syllabus for the year. I will help them, if you give me this job."

_That sounded slightly more convincing, _Edward thought.

"And why do you need this job, Mr Masen?"

" Well, I'm unemployed, and I have a love of music that I want to share with younger generations."

"Was your dream always to teach music at an elementary school?" the principal asked sceptically.

"No, sir, honestly, it never was. My dream was to become a famous pianist."

"And what happened to that dream?"

"My father died. And my mother got sick. And I realized that it would be extremely difficult to achieve that pie-in-the-sky dream in a short space of time. I say short space of time because my mother needs medical attention. I need money to pay for it, and getting people to buy my music would move too slowly for me to build enough money to pay medical bills."

"Do you like children?"

"Yes, I do, sir."

Principal Walker smiled.

"You have the job. Could you start on Monday?"

"What? Thank you sir, so much! Of course I can!" Edward exclaimed enthusiastically and happily. He got the job!

"That's great. Now, let's discuss the technical details. Payday, salary, and all that."

"Of course, sir."

An hour later, Edward left the elementary school with a smile on his face. He was one step closer to getting his mother better. He took the subway half the way to his house, and walked the other half, enjoying the cool New York air. Things were getting better now.

* * *

_**A/N: N this is where I pick it up lol! Its an awsome story and i'm thankfull to have adopted it :P I have great plans for these two dream luvers and I hope U guys approve and will luv it jus as much! Thanxs again to RandomChickOliviaxx for letting me continue it! Hope it turns out great! So...once I get things going again I should have a new chapter out...not jus for this but for all my stories! I been away for a while but now i'm bck! Luvs u all bunches!**_

**_Ashlie Christine_**


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